Simulation-based trauma education for medical students: A review of literature

Abstract

Background: Medical students often do not feel prepared to manage emergency situations after graduation. They experience a lack of practical skills and show significant deficits in cognitive performance to assess and stabilize trauma patients. Most reports in the literature about simulation-based education pertain to postgraduate training. Simulation-based trauma education (SBTE) in undergraduate medical education could improve confidence and performance of recently graduated doctors in trauma resuscitation. We reviewed the literature in search of SBTE effectiveness for medical students.

Methods: A PubMed, Embase and CINAHL literature search was performed to identify all studies that reported on the effectiveness of SBTE for medical students, on student perception on SBTE or on the effectiveness of different simulation modalities.

Results: Eight studies were included. Three out of four studies reporting on the effectiveness of SBTE demonstrated an increase in performance of students after SBTE. SBTE is generally highly appreciated by medical students. Only one study directly compared two modalities of SBTE and reported favorable results for the mechanical model rather than the standardized live patient model.

Conclusion: SBTE appears to be an effective method to prepare medical students for trauma resuscitation. Furthermore, students enjoy SBTE and they perceive SBTE as a very useful learning method.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Glossary

Simulation: “An imitation of a situation or process for the purpose of study” (in contrast to the definition of simulation that focuses on the use of simulation for assessment of clinical performance by Wojtczak (2003), provided in the glossary available in MedEdWorld).

Original reference of added definition: Oxford Dictionary. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/simulation (Accessed 15/11/2016).

Notes on contributors

Alicia Borggreve, MD is a recently graduated medical doctor from Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands. This review was based on an assignment in an elective teaching rotation for final year medical students.

Joost Meijer, MD is a traumasurgeon/intensivist at University Medical Center Utrecht, ATLS instructor and involved in medical education on a daily basis.

Henk Schreuder, MD PhD is a gynecologic oncologist at the University Medical Centre of Utrecht and associate professor in medical simulation and education. He is board member of the Dutch Society for Simulation in Healthcare and holds a PhD in surgical simulation.

Olle ten Cate, PhD is Professor of Medical Education and Director, Center for Research and Development of Education at University Medical Center Utrecht.